Southend United manager Phil Brown has been named as the Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month award for September.

Brown led Blues to four consecutive wins during a great month for the Club, which saw the Essex side rise to fourth in the league.

After a draw at home to Oxford on September 6th, Blues went from strength to strength and gained important and valuable victories over Portsmouth, Cheltenham Town, York City and Shrewsbury Town during the month.

Phil said: “It’s a great honour to get this award. It’s a team game and credit must also be given to the players who have produced some great performances during the month.”

Brown fought off competition from Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth, Exeter City boss Paul Tisdale and Bury’s David Flitcroft to land the award.

It is the second time that Phil has picked up a monthly award since he has been with Southend, having earned the honour in November 2013.

In the Player of the Month awards, Jack Payne missed out to Luton Town defender Luke Wilkinson.

Sky Sports’ Football League pundit Don Goodman said: “You have to hand it to Phil. He has calmly turned the Blues into a formidable unit, and cleverly folded in the young signings who have help re-invigorate the team.”

Sky Bet Football Trading Manager Paul Lowery said: “In a run of games that looked tough on paper, Southend nearly took maximum points beating some of the leagues’ well-fancied sides including Portsmouth and Shrewsbury.

“What is especially impressive is that Southend weren’t odds on in any of their victories and were 6/4 (vs. Shrewsbury), 9/5 (vs York), 6/4 (vs Cheltenham), and 23/20 (vs Portsmouth).

“Southend’s price to win the title has come tumbling down from 20/1 to 7/1 over the course of the month due to their impressive wins. They’re now 13/8 to be promoted having been 7/2.”

Sky Bet is the title sponsor of The Football League. This season, a £250,000 Sky Bet Transfer Fund will go to a Football League club to spend on players in the January 2015 transfer window.

Fans who bet with Sky Bet generate Transfer Fund Tokens and go into a random draw to win a £5,000 prize – and the £250,000 Sky Bet Transfer Fund for their Football League club.